I believe the author is talking more about movement within the solar system than about how to get to orbit. Skyhooks are amazing though.
For example, if you were on a station attached to
2019 BE5[0], that asteroid rotates once every 15 seconds. With a 60km tether, slowly unwound out from the asteroid, you'd be moving at something like 12km/s. (60km * 3.14 / 15s). All you'd need to do is wait until the plane of the orbit lines up with the destination to have in mind and release the asteroid on the end of the tether.
2019 BE5 is only ~55m across. A 60km tether that could withstand those g forces would probably be at least a few orders of magnitude more massive than the entire asteroid.
mabbo|2 years ago
For example, if you were on a station attached to 2019 BE5[0], that asteroid rotates once every 15 seconds. With a 60km tether, slowly unwound out from the asteroid, you'd be moving at something like 12km/s. (60km * 3.14 / 15s). All you'd need to do is wait until the plane of the orbit lines up with the destination to have in mind and release the asteroid on the end of the tether.
messe|2 years ago
unknown|2 years ago
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